ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for "immediate" special elections to protect the Republican party's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
DeSantis announced via X that he instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to "formulate and announce a schedule for the upcoming special elections immediately."
Byrd replied to Desantis's post by saying,
"We will have this schedule posted soon, and we are working to ensure these special elections are conducted as soon as possible."
The governor also took time to congratulate the three Floridians appointed to key positions in President-elect Donald Trump's administration:
- Senator Marco Rubio - Secretary of State
- Congressman Matt Gaetz - Attorney General
- Congressman Mike Waltz - National Security Adviser
According to a report from the Associated Press, to fill an open House seat, Florida must hold a special election where voters will be able to directly choose their next representative.
On the Senate side, DeSantis will get to appoint someone to take over Rubio’s seat, assuming his colleagues confirm him as secretary of state. Rubio's replacement would hold the seat until the next regularly scheduled election in 2026.
Among the names being floated for Rubio's seat include the Florida governor himself.
"DeSantis' term as governor runs out in 2026, putting the state's top executive office back on the ballot and offering its own political possibilities," AP said in its report.
The state's most recent special election to fill a U.S. House seat vacancy took 10 weeks between the primary election and the general alone, according to state records.